Black Urban Farmer Talks Planting in DC Food Desert

by Christen Hill

If you want to try your hand at growing your own food, there are multiple organizations in D.C. that encourage it. Xavier Brown is a native Washingtonian and DC Urban Farmer who runs Soilful City, a community gardening organization that works heavily in Ward 8.

He helps run the community garden called Project Eden in Congress Heights, DC. It was started by ReGeneration Church a few years ago. It has about 12 raised beds and offers gardening and nutrition classes for youth and their families. Brown spearheads the gardening efforts there along with community members.

Brown has been diligent about working in underprivileged communities to teach them how to grow nutritious food. He and two of his colleagues were awarded a three-year, $20,000 fellowship from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to create a new culture of health in D.C. This helps their team continue gardens like Project Eden. (Read more)